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Ross W. Wilson, 85, of Amarillo died Monday, May 20, 2002.
Services will be at 11 a.m. today in First Baptist Church with Dr. Howard Batson and Dr. Winfred Moore officiating. Private family burial will take place. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home, 4100 S. Georgia St.
Mr. Wilson was born Aug. 20, 1916, in Texhoma, Okla., and spent most of his early years in Amarillo. At age 14, he moved to Groom to live with an uncle.
In 1934, he enrolled at West Texas State College in Canyon. In an article in the spring 2000 WT Foundation newsletter, Mr. Wilson said, "I enrolled at WT on faith and prayer, not knowing where I would live or what I would do."
He recalled that he sold his bicycle to pay tuition. He lived in a professor's co-op and took his turn cooking and cleaning to pay for his room and board.
Mr. Wilson earned a bachelor of science degree in chemistry. A year later, he earned his master's degree at the University of Tennessee. He married the former Ora Mae Harris of Claude on June 1, 1939.
After graduation, he began a series of teaching jobs in Texas and New Mexico. In 1941, he began working for Shamrock Oil and Gas Co. near Sunray as a research chemist.
More than a year later he enlisted in the Army and was sent to meteorology school at Grand Rapids, Mich. He graduated from the school in the fall of 1943 as a second lieutenant. He was discharged from the Army as a captain in the spring of 1946.
From 1946 to 1951, he worked at the Bureau of Mines helium plant in Amarillo, where he was head of the helium liquefaction section. From 1951 to 1956, he worked for Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. as a process engineer at its plant in Tuscola, Ill. He was a new developments engineer from 1956 to 1961 for Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Co. in Kansas City, Mo.
In 1961, he established the National Helium Corporation in Liberal, Kan.
In a speech, Mr. Wilson said, "Congress, at that time, was rewriting the Helium Act so as to permit the large helium conservation program. I made some suggestions that were incorporated into the final bill.
"I surveyed the Panhandle Gas supply for helium and prepared the response to the government invitation for bids to supply helium for the conservation program."
He served as vice president, executive vice president and president of National Helium until his retirement in 1981.
He married Hazel Kelley in 1984. The couple enjoyed traveling and photography became his favorite hobby. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church of Amarillo.
He became a consultant to Ken Kelly at Jack B. Kelley Inc. in 1985. He and his wife worked side-by-side in the Kelley family business.
Along with his wife Hazel Kelley Wilson, Mr. Wilson was a noted philanthropist and community volunteer.
He endowed the Ross W. Wilson Science and Engineering Chair at WT with a $250,000 gift in honor of his first wife, Ora Mae Harris Wilson, a 1938 honor graduate of WT, and Dr. Charles Pierle, a WT chemistry professor from 1922 to 1954. During his time at WT, Mr. Wilson was a chemistry assistant to Pierle.
Mr. Wilson served on the WT Foundation Board. He was a member of the President's Circle, WT Alumni Association, the Phoenix Club and the Foundation for Buffalo Athletics.
WT President Russell Long said he remembers Mr. Wilson as a "delightful person" who took an interest in WT's programs, faculty and students.
Long said Mr. Wilson regularly attended university functions.
"WT has had very few friends who were as strong and as supportive as Ross Wilson," Long said. "The entire university will feel the loss."
Batson, pastor of First Baptist Church of Amarillo, said Mr. Wilson was a generous, gentle and steady member of the church.
"He had the ability to put those around him at ease," Batson said. "He had a wonderful spirit of Christ and of humility."
Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Annette Wilson of Liberal, Kan.; a son, Jim Wilson of Wichita, Kan.; two stepdaughters, Sharon Kelley Oeschger of Amarillo and Judy Kelley Morgan of Texarkana; a stepson, Ken Kelley of Amarillo; 13 grandchildren, Kevin Armstrong, Eric Armstrong, Jeremiah Wilson and Christopher Wilson, all of Liberal, Kan., Matt Morgan and Jeff Morgan, both of Oklahoma City, Kristin Harris, Bryson Oeschger, Bryan Kelley and Taylor Kelley, all of Amarillo, and Shelby Morgan, Haven Morgan and Ryan Morgan, all of Texarkana; and six great-grandchildren.
The family suggests memorials be to Ross W. Wilson Chair in Science and Engineering in care of WTAMU Foundation, P.O. Box 60766, Canyon, TX 79016.
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